Mum reveals moment she was ‘flung 10ft into air’ as suicide bomber detonated explosive device packed with nails, ball bearings and metal nuts
A MUM waiting for her kids to come out of the Ariana Grande gig saw the suicide bomber blow himself up.
Manchester-born killer Salman Abedi, 22, is suspected of secretly visiting Syria for terror training before unleashing mayhem at the teen concert.
His device was packed with nails, ball bearings and metal nuts — sending deadly shrapnel through the foyer of the Manchester Arena as young fans started leaving.
Emma Johnson, 47, was waiting with husband Mark for her son Nathan, 17, and daughter Melissa, 15. when she spotted a man acting suspiciously around 10ft away.
She said: “I saw a person in a red vest with a grey panel by the merchandising stalls.
“He had only just stepped in through the doors from outside a second earlier.
“On the front of his top he had what appeared to be a large raised zipper, the width of his chest.
“I was thinking, ‘What a bizarre thing to wear’. He looked so out of place. Now I know the zipper must have been nuts and bolts attached to the suicide vest.
“A split second later the explosion came. It was a huge flash of light. There was fire and smoke.
“The glass balcony barriers exploded around us but incredibly not one piece hit us.
“Our ears were ringing. Then I saw the torso. There were no arms or legs.”
Everyone then started screaming while victims were strewn across the floor, including another mum.
Emma, a teaching administrator from Preston, went on: “Her husband was trying to communicate with her, but there was nothing back. Their little girl aged about seven just kept shouting, ‘Mummy, mummy!’
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“The poor little girl could not comprehend what happened.”
Emma managed to get through to Nathan on the phone before being reunited with her children after a terrifying 15-minute wait.
She said: “It was the worst 15 minutes of my life. We were evacuated into the street but I began to feel guilty other parents had lost their children.”
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Read more:
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